Download or read book Bodhisattva of Compassion written by John Blofeld and published by National Geographic Books. This book was released on 2009-10-13 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: She is the embodiment of selfless love, the supreme symbol of radical compassion, and, for more than a millennium throughout Asia, she has been revered as “The One Who Hearkens to the Cries of the World.” Kuan Yin is both a Buddhist symbol and a beloved deity of Chinese folk religion. John Blofeld’s classic study traces the history of this most famous of all the bodhisattvas from her origins in India (as the male figure Avalokiteshvara) to Tibet, China, and beyond, along the way highlighting her close connection to other figures such as Tara and Amitabha. The account is full of charming stories of Blofeld’s encounters with Kuan Yin’s devotees during his journeys in China. The book also contains meditation and visualization techniques associated with the Bodhisattva of Compassion, and translations of poems and yogic texts devoted to her.
Download or read book Bodhisattva of Compassion written by John Blofeld and published by Shambhala Publications. This book was released on 1988 with total page 158 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This portrait of the Buddhist embodiment of compassion is both an informative study by a leading scholar of Buddhism and an engaging account of the author's search for the mystical significance of the goddess. An object of joyous devotion in Chinese folk religion, Kuan Yin is revered for her saving power: it is said that anyone in distress who calls on her with sincerity will be rescued from suffering and harm. On a deeper level, Kuan Yin symbolizes the liberating energy of compassion, which is an indispensable aid in the quest for enlightenment. John Blofeld evokes the charming presence of Kuan Yin through colorful anecdotes, personal experiences, and descriptions of Buddhist rituals and legends encountered during his travels throughout China. At the same time, he offers a learned account of the goddess's history and importance in Chinese thought and religion. He explores the origin of the Bodhisattva of Compassion in India and Tibet, in the form of Avalokiteshvara (Tibetan: Chenresig), a male deity who evolved into the gentle mother/maiden figure of Chinese Buddhism. Meditation and visualization techniques associated with Kuan Yin are given, and her principal iconographic forms are described. Illustrated with images from Chinese and Tibetan sacred art, the book also contains translations of devotional poems and yogic texts. Bodhisattva of Compassion is undoubtedly the most complete and illuminating picture of Kuan Yin available.
Download or read book The Path of Individual Liberation written by Chögyam Trungpa and published by Shambhala Publications. This book was released on 2013 with total page 960 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Second volume of a compilation of Ch'ogyam Trungpa Rinpoche's Vajradhatu Seminary teachings in three volumes.
Download or read book Faces of Compassion written by Taigen Dan Leighton and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2012-05-15 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Faces of Compassion introduces us to enlightened beings, the bodhisattvas of Buddhist lore. They're not otherworldly gods with superhuman qualities but shining examples of our own highest potential. Archetypes of wisdom and compassion, the bodhisattvas of Buddhism are powerful and compelling images of awakening. Scholar and Zen teacher Taigen Dan Leighton engagingly explores the imagery and lore of the seven most important of these archetypal figures, bringing them alive as psychological and spiritual wellsprings. Emphasizing the universality of spiritual ideas, Leighton finds aspects of bodhisattvas expressed in a variety of familiar modern personages - from Muhammad Ali to Mahatma Gandhi, from Bob Dylan to Henry Thoreau, and from Gertrude Stein to Mother Teresa. This edition contains a revised and expanded introduction that frames the book as a exciting and broad-scoped view of Mahayana Buddhism. It's updated throughout to make it of more use to scholars and a perfect companion to survey courses of world religions or a 200-level course on Buddhism.
Download or read book The Compassionate Bodhisattva written by Sofia Sundström and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Southeast Asia has a long history with Buddhism that continues to the present day. Centuries ago, Buddhism spread to various areas of Southeast Asia, where some of the greatest Buddhist images and monuments were produced over 1,000 years ago. These include the majestic Borobudur in Central Java and Angkor Thom in Cambodia. Images of the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara in bronze were also produced in large numbers at this time.0This book deals with images of Avalokitesvara that are unique to specific countries of Southeast Asia: Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia. It introduces a wider audience to the beauty and originality of Southeast Asian art. The text focuses on specific forms of Avalokitesvara images found in the different regions of Southeast Asia, illustrating the local developments of Buddhist art. This includes an exploration of both iconography and style, but will also highlight the continuous desire of the artists to portray the compassion for which Avalokitesvara is known. Even in today?s modern world, the idea of compassion becomes ever more vital and the Bodhisattva remains popular among all Buddhists. This book would be a source of knowledge, but perhaps most importantly, fantastical and beautiful images that in themselves are a comfort as they radiate the quality of Avalokitesvara: compassion.
Download or read book The Heart of Compassion written by Dilgo Khyentse and published by Shambhala Publications. This book was released on 2007-05-29 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Tibetan Buddhist master shares his commentary on Santideva's Way of the Bodhisattva, illuminating the path to enlightenment and the meaning of true compassion What would be the practical implications of caring more about others than about yourself? This is the radical theme of this extraordinary set of instructions, a training manual composed in the fourteenth century by the Buddhist hermit Ngulchu Thogme, here explained in detail by one of the great Tibetan Buddhist masters of the twentieth century, Dilgo Khyentse. In the Mahayana tradition, those who have the courage to undertake the profound change of attitude required to develop true compassion are called bodhisattvas. Their great resolve—to consider others’ needs as paramount, and thus to attain enlightenment for the sake of all living creatures—carries them beyond the limits imposed by the illusions of “I” and “mine,” culminating in the direct realization of reality, transcending dualistic notions of self and other. This classic text presents ways that we can work with our own hearts and minds, starting wherever we find ourselves now, to unravel our small-minded preoccupations and discover our own potential for compassion, love, and wisdom. Many generations of Buddhist practitioners have been inspired by these teachings, and the great masters of all traditions have written numerous commentaries. Dilgo Khyentse’s commentary is probably his most extensive recorded teaching on Mahayana practice.
Download or read book Kuan yin written by Chün-fang Yü and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 2001-03-22 with total page 657 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: By far one of the most important objects of worship in the Buddhist traditions, the bodhisattva Avalokitesvara is regarded as the embodiment of compassion. He has been widely revered throughout the Buddhist countries of Asia since the early centuries of the Common Era. While he was closely identified with the royalty in South and Southeast Asia, and the Tibetans continue to this day to view the Dalai Lamas as his incarnations, in China he became a she—Kuan-yin, the "Goddess of Mercy"—and has a very different history. The causes and processes of this metamorphosis have perplexed Buddhist scholars for centuries. In this groundbreaking, comprehensive study, Chün-fang Yü discusses this dramatic transformation of the (male) Indian bodhisattva Avalokitesvara into the (female) Chinese Kuan-yin—from a relatively minor figure in the Buddha's retinue to a universal savior and one of the most popular deities in Chinese religion. Focusing on the various media through which the feminine Kuan-yin became constructed and domesticated in China, Yü thoroughly examines Buddhist scriptures, miracle stories, pilgrimages, popular literature, and monastic and local gazetteers—as well as the changing iconography reflected in Kuan-yin's images and artistic representations—to determine the role this material played in this amazing transformation. The book eloquently depicts the domestication of Kuan-yin as a case study of the indigenization of Buddhism in China and illuminates the ways this beloved deity has affected the lives of all Chinese people down the ages.
Download or read book Discovering Kwan Yin Buddhist Goddess of Compassion written by Sandy Boucher and published by Beacon Press. This book was released on 2000-05-12 with total page 148 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sandy Boucher, celebrated author of Opening the Lotus and Turning the Wheel, now offers North American readers their first opportunity to share in Kwan Yin's illuminating wisdom. Along with providing meditations, chants, and prayers this lovely, illustrated volume recounts the stories of this bodhisattva (one who delays her own full enlightenment to work for the liberation of all beings) and explains Kwan Yin's role in Buddhism. Discovering Kwan Yin is sure to become an important spiritual touchstone for those who seek to celebrate the goddess in their lives, to give and receive the loving power of her presence.
Download or read book Becoming the Compassion Buddha written by Thubten Yeshe and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2012-06-04 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Not only was Lama Yeshe one of the most beloved Tibetan Buddhist masters of the late twentieth century, he was also a remarkably effective teacher and communicator. In Becoming the Compassion Buddha, just as he did with his bestselling Introduction to Tantra, he once again demonstrates his extraordinary ability to present practices that once were considered arcane or hidden in a way that is clear and understandable to the general reader. In these pages, Lama Yeshe guides readers through the tantric practice of Avalokiteshvara, the Buddha of Compassion, basing his instructions on a text written by His Holiness the Dalai Lama at age nineteen. He gives special emphasis to mahamudra, the emptiness of one's own mind, and demystifies these esoteric techniques, clearly showing them for what they are: highly developed psychology. Throughout, Lama Yeshe presents his approachable teachings by drawing on examples from daily life and introducing meditation practices that all can follow. Becoming the Compassion Buddha is an extraordinary book that opens new doors for countless readers.
Download or read book The Path of Compassion written by Dalai Lama and published by . This book was released on 2010-05-25 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At head of title: Chinese Brahma's net sutra.
Download or read book Compassion and Meditation written by Jean-Yves Leloup and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2009-06-25 with total page 190 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A profound reflection on how complementary themes in Buddhism and Christianity could serve as the basis for a truly ecumenical faith • Compares Zen meditation with the Greek Orthodox practice of Hesychasm (prayer of the heart) • Shows how Buddha and Jesus represent the distinct yet complementary values of meditation and compassion In Asian spiritual traditions the mountain traditionally symbolizes meditation while the ocean signifies compassion. Jean-Yves Leloup uses this metaphor to compare Buddhist and Christian approaches to meditation and compassion to reveal the similarities and divergences of these profound practices. Emphasizing their complementary nature, Leloup describes how Jesus and Buddha are necessary to one another and how together they form a complete system: Jesus as awakening through love, and Buddha as awakening through meditation. Where Buddha represents the forests, Jesus represents the trees. Buddha is brother to the universe, whereas Jesus is brother to humanity. Nevertheless, these two religious traditions have a profound common ground. Compassion is central to Buddhism, and meditation practices have been central to many Christian traditions. Both view murder, theft, and the destructive use of sexuality as great barriers to realizing our essential being, and both agree on the need to rise above them. Here, however, Leloup suggests that both faiths could benefit from the precepts of the other. The complementary aspects of Christianity and Buddhism offer the possibility for a truly profound ecumenical religion whose interfaith relations are based on deep understanding of the true meaning and practice of meditation and compassion and not merely shared goodwill.
Download or read book Kuan Yin written by Maya van der Meer and published by Shambhala Publications. This book was released on 2021-05-04 with total page 33 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Spirituality & Practice "Best Books of 2021" Award Winner Bank Street College of Education "The Best Children’s Books of the Year" Moonbeams Children’s Book Awards "Best Illustrator" Silver Winner Two sisters discover the power of love and the true meaning of compassion in this princess-adventure story based on an ancient Chinese tale. Miao Shan isn't your typical princess. She likes to spend her time quietly meditating with the creatures of the forest or having adventures with dragons and tigers. Miao Shan's heart is so full of love that her dream is to spread happiness throughout the land and help people endlessly. But her father has other plans for her--he intends to have her married and remain in the palace. With the help of her little sister Ling, Miao Shan escapes and begins her journey to discover the true meaning of compassion. During their adventure, Ling and Miao Shan are eventually separated. Ling must overcome doubts, fears, and loneliness in order to realize what her sister had told her all along--that love is the greatest power in the world. After the sisters' reunion, Miao Shan realizes her true calling as Kuan Yin, the goddess of compassion. A princess-adventure story like none other, this ancient Chinese tale of the world's most beloved Buddhist hero is a story of sisterhood, strength, and following your own path.
Download or read book Becoming Bodhisattvas written by Pema Chödrön and published by Shambhala Publications. This book was released on 2018-09-04 with total page 409 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Best-selling American Buddhist nun Pema Chödrön presents a friendly and encouraging guide to spiritual practice for all those who want to take up the path of the bodhisattva--one who aspires to live life with courage, generosity, patience, fearlessness, and compassion. The Way of the Bodhisattva has long been treasured as an indispensable guide to enlightened living, offering a window into the greatest potential within us all. Written in the eighth century by the scholar and saint Shantideva, it presents a comprehensive view of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition’s highest ideal—to commit oneself to the life of a bodhisattva warrior, a person who is wholeheartedly dedicated to the freedom and common good of all beings. And it has inspired many of the tradition’s greatest teachers, providing a remarkable source of insight on the means by which we may heal ourselves and our troubled world. These essential teachings present the core of the Buddhist path, from cultivating deep-seated confidence to infusing one’s life with selflessness, joyfulness, kindness, and compassion. Pema Chödrön here invites you to journey more deeply into this liberating way of life, presenting Shantideva’s text verse-by-verse and offering both illuminating stories and practical exercises to enrich the text and bring its timeless teachings to life in our world today. Previously published under the title No Time to Lose.
Download or read book Kannon written by Katharina Epprecht and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 204 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Kannon, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, is probably Japan's most popular Buddhist deity. Images of Kannon - who hears the cries for help of all beings in distress - are the main focus of worship in many Japanese temples. The Museum Rietberg presents an exceptional selection of the most beautiful sculptures and paintings from the seventh to the fourteenth century, some of which have never been seen before outside Japan or which are rarely accessible even to the Japanese public."--Jacket
Download or read book Where the Heart Beats written by Kay Larson and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2013-07-30 with total page 497 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A “heroic” biography of John Cage and his “awakening through Zen Buddhism”—“a kind of love story” about a brilliant American pioneer of the creative arts who transformed himself and his culture (The New York Times) Composer John Cage sought the silence of a mind at peace with itself—and found it in Zen Buddhism, a spiritual path that changed both his music and his view of the universe. “Remarkably researched, exquisitely written,” Where the Heart Beats weaves together “a great many threads of cultural history” (Maria Popova, Brain Pickings) to illuminate Cage’s struggle to accept himself and his relationship with choreographer Merce Cunningham. Freed to be his own man, Cage originated exciting experiments that set him at the epicenter of a new avant-garde forming in the 1950s. Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns, Andy Warhol, Yoko Ono, Allan Kaprow, Morton Feldman, and Leo Castelli were among those influenced by his ‘teaching’ and ‘preaching.’ Where the Heart Beats shows the blossoming of Zen in the very heart of American culture.
Download or read book Universal Compassion written by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso and published by Tharpa Publications US. This book was released on 2002 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In a commentary on the Buddhist poem "Training the mind in seven points," a Tibetan Buddhist teacher presents a series of methods for developing unconditional love and compassion.
Download or read book Courageous Compassion written by Dalai Lama and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2021-05-18 with total page 356 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The sixth volume of the Dalai Lama’s definitive Library of Wisdom and Compassion series. Courageous Compassion, the sixth volume of the Library of Wisdom and Compassion series, continues the Dalai Lama’s teachings on the path to awakening. The previous volume, In Praise of Great Compassion, focused on opening our hearts with love and compassion for all living beings, and the present volume explains how to embody compassion and wisdom in our daily lives. Here we enter a fascinating exploration of bodhisattvas’ activities across multiple Buddhist traditions—Tibetan, Theravada, and Chinese Buddhism. After explaining the ten perfections according to the Pali and Sanskrit traditions, the Dalai Lama presents the sophisticated schema of the four paths and fruits for sravakas and solitary realizers and the five paths for bodhisattvas. Learning about the practices mastered by these exalted practitioners inspires us with knowledge of our minds’ potential. His Holiness also describes buddha bodies, what buddhas perceive, and buddhas’ awakening activities. Courageous Compassion offers an in-depth look at bodhicitta, arhatship, and buddhahood that you can continuously refer to as you progress on the path to full awakening.
